Clutch and brake for washing machines



:EL-g,

NOV. 24, 1953 W G. LANDWlE-R 2,660,278

CLUTCH AND BRAKE FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed July 18, 1950 .lf/ Q j. l,

\ l l u@ Il WILLIAM E.. LANDWIER TTDHNgY Patented Nov. 24, 1953 l 212,660,218. l emision ANDgBRAKELEoR "WASHING yaivfAoHIrrEs @Application rulyn-s,

:iso :.that the 'mutation1 'fof ffthe *extractor *may vhe quickly stopped upon disengagement L'of the zclutch. fi'lnfrfsuch 'maohines'flthe'extractor 4basket `rotateslatrrelativelyhighfspeol, extracting water from clothes contained v*ther-ein by centrifugal herne'chanism l-for holding the clutch :1 be fcapable" off retaining sucheengageement regardless? Gif-Vibration. 'T'Onlthe dtherhand, such control should be easily actuated by the operator, so that the clutc'h'fma-y be disengaged' brkefactuati-ngfshifter fork throughfasimple cam 'having1 akcontourl vsuclras' to'gprovide positive Vlocklin'g'ff""tlie'icontnl in'eithenfan onor an oif po- *"pnt 't V'ihealoove `and"therlhovelifeatures:oftthe fin- 'Ve'rition will "appear more vfullv hereinafter from the -followingfdetailed description when ftaken in p clonjunctionwithrtheaccompanying drawings. yi-fI't .is -XprQSSlY `11m(5112153150011 '.ithzt the drawings F'fare employed :for 'purp'oses of iiillustration .fi-'only nd varea-not designed agriadentionf-:offithe liniits f Y thais-invention, reference beinglhad for thisfpur- 1sojseiiaiNoltresse t2 Figuren-sise; broken vertical: 'section taken Esub- 'fitantiallyr bnfthe line22`2fof Fi'gureil `irligurfe:iszafragmentary"sectional:detail taken on the broken vertical section :lineffS-fyt'he'parts "5 Jkinglfin 'clutoh-'t-'en'gaging :position :of Figure 2;

fiand Q :Eigureit isfsimilar to Figure' 3,5e'xcepttthat1the control lever is shown in theextr'actorbraking position. v Referring tto .the 'drawings, :theresisi shownfffa :transmission teasing I0 cornpo'sedioff a :main `cast- -tiing or. therfstructure l2fhavingfonftheitoptltherefofi'an upstanding `:hearing r`pedestal `f I 4,1 the latter -bieing .aseatedin ialcircular aperture fl 6' in Mthe Stop l5 *Wall .1.8 iofthe transmission-casing fstructur'e I2. ".'lheiipedestal is.sprovi'cedwith a I centering? `flange 2@ ittedizinltheV aperture `Ixixand a'shouldersZZ for :accurate seating `upon i' the itransmission struc- 'iture .zi-2. 4Journaledin .the .'casingfstructure and Orrinsthe'pedestal |14., is .ia vertical drive :shaft :24 adapted to carry units upper fendv'anextractor sbasketas Willrbe .understoo'tizin theart and v'from .f-a reference to :the patentsand :app'licationhereinsabovegreferredto. :The pedestal l 4a has "anupper ksnoxiielewzt samrafthreadea extensiones iniwh'ich a'tbc'earingl sleeve mayibe containedt'he shoulder 31aeingaclaptedL torreceive'thezbottom 23B.' off anr-e'xtractor tub, the bottom -zbeingl secured` iiniplace by the 'fwashers rfv-32 and 34, eandz'- a; clamp rnuti 3 s,

T130 4A fmotor 'driven Awvorrn shaftl 38 extends .through fthe? casing ,fstructure I2 4.in :fa fsusbta'ntial'ly l hori-4 uzontal tdirection andhas "positioned V`thereon ra ndrivefavorrn 40 :engaging lwith a driven pinion f42. fn practicathe Wormzfli and thelpinion42may fsirablertocause the extractorshaft 24 to rotate at earelativelyi highy `speed .fthe .order Lof '900 eRigPfM., fwhereasthe fmotorfshaft f rotateslat .flxnotor speed-pr 1,750 M. Thedriven pinion :lo .42 1freely rotateszupon the tshaftr24andsisfheld per end of which is provided Withcafclutchiface 5,2` adapbed..to .cooperate@with ands drive excomplemertary driven clutch element T54 vhavingffa friction. facing "56. Such. driventclutch elementtis Aprovided. .vvth..alboss.56 -Which is r.keyed to ;the

i ,shaft Iza as at ltamhewdriven lfriction fvmember 3 through which the shaft 24 freely projects, such partition being adapted to support an annular concave thrust Washer 64 in which is positioned a compression spring 66, the latter being threaded over the hub 56 and bearing upon the driven clutch member in the manner shown. The thrust washer 64 has a downwardly extending sleeve 68, and internally thereof at the upper end there is provided a shouldered recess adapted to receive a lock ring 12 lying in an annular groove '|4 in the shaft 24. The shouldered recess 10 and the annular groove 14 are of such dimension as to jointly receive the lock ring 12 in a snug fashion, whereby the ring 12 will securely hold the thrust washer 64 and prevent the escape of the ring '|2 so long as the thrust washer is maintained in its uppermost position as is its normal assembled position. A washer 'I6 may be provided upon the shaft 24 immediately above the thrust washer 64 in order to prevent end play of the shaft 24. The lower end of the shaft 2d is journaled in an integral bearing recess 18 in the casing structure 2, and rests upon an anti-friction thrust ball 30. Between the transverse partition 60 and the shoulder 26 is a cavity or opening 82 providing Vspace for a slinger ring 84 mounted in a groove 86 on the shaft 24.

In order to provide a brake for quickly retarding the rotation of the shaft 24, a flanged brake ring 88 is mounted beneath the clutch friction surface 56, the flanged ring surrounding the Vthe brake ring 38 may be caused to engage the friction surface 56 and if elevated suiliciently,

will lift such friction face 56 from the clutch face 52 resulting in braking of the rotation of the shaft 24 and release of the clutch.

` In order to provide a Vpositive and simple mechanism for moving the shifter fork Bl! into braking position, and to lift the friction face 56 from the clutch face 52 against the urge of compression spring 66, a one-piece actuating mechanism comprising a transverse rock shaft |00 journaled in spaced bearings |02 and |04 in the pedestal M is provided, the rod having integrally secured thereto a cam member |06 having therein an elongated camming aperture |08 having inner and outer cam faces H0 and |2. Such cam is adapted to swing to and fro in the bifurcated end H4 of the shift rod 92 in which is positioned a cam engaging roller H6, such roller being mounted upon a transverse pin I8 extending through apertures in the bifurcated end ||4 of the shift rod 92.

VThe cam face ||2 is provided with end recesses |26 and |22 having substantially the contour of the roller ||6 such that when the cam |26 is swung to the end positions shown in Figures 3 and 4, such recess will securely hold the cam in such position, thereby positively securing the shifter fork 92 either in the down position shown in Figure 2 or in an upper position in which such fork lifts the braking member 88 against the clutch face E6, lifting the same from the clutch face 52 against the urge of the compression spring 66. The rock shaft |00 may conveniently extend a suiicient distance outwardly from the pedestal through an aperture in the skirt or casing wall |23 of a washing machine, and there be bent at right angles as at |24, the rod extendinga suicient distance to provide a ready manually operable lever |26. W'here the rock shaft IUD passes through the aperture |28 in the side wall |23, it may be provided with a suitable grommet |38 whereby any tendency of the rock shaft to vibrate will be silently controlled.

It will be seen from the foregoing disclosure that the rock shaft is a unitary structure capable of ready insertion into apertures provided in the pedestal and that axial movement of such shaft is confined and controlled by the cam |06 by reason of its positioning in the bifurcated end of the rod 92. The shaft may be inserted in the pedestal and assembled by rotation suicient to bring the cam within the bifurcated end, after which the roller 6 and the pin I8 may be positioned in place, completing the assembly. It will appear that the structure thus provided has relatively few parts which may be readily fabricated and which may be assembled with a minimum of labor. Additionally, the cam H2, with its end recesses |20 and |22 are adapted to positively hold the rock shaft (l0 in either of its end positions, that is with the clutch engaged or the brake engaged, regardless of any severe vibration which at times may occur due to a poorly balanced load mounted in the extractor basket upon the shaft 24. f

While a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a denition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine of the centrifugal extractor type comprising, in combination, a vertical extractor shaft, a transmission casing member affording a bearing for said shaft, a clutch shifter slidably mounted in said casing member, and projecting outwardly therefrom, a rook shaft journaied in said casing member transverse to the line of movement of said shifter, and a cam member on said rock shaft lying and rocking substantially in the plane of said shifter, resilient biasing means for said shifter, said cam member having a spiral cam track bounded by detent recesses at either end, and cam follower means on said shifter riding on said cam and adapted to hold said cam when said follower is positioned in either recess and there held by said biasing means.

2. A washing machine of the centrifugal extractor type comprising, in combination, a vertical extractor shaft having driving and driven clutch elements thereon, a transmission casing member affording a bearing for said shaft, a clutch shifter slidably mounted in said casing member, said shifter coacting with one element on said shaft, and having a rod projecting out therefrom and slidably -mounted therein for movement parallel with said shaft, a rock shaft journaled in said casing member transverse to the line of movement of said shifter, and a cam member on said rock shaft lying and rocking 5 substantially in the plane of said shifter rod, resilient biasing means for said shifter, said cam member having a spiral cam track bounded by radially concave detent recesses at either end, and cam follower means on said shifter rod riding on said cam and adapted to hold said cam when said follower is held in either recess by said biasing means.

3. A washing machine extractor drive shaft and control assembly comprising, in combination, a housing cover plate, an extractor drive shaft extending through said cover plate, said shaft having a drive clutch and brake on one side of said cover plate, and said cover plate having an upstanding bearing support for said shaft on the other side, a clutch and brake actuating member having a rod slidable in said cover plate in a direction substantially parallel with said drive shaft, a rock shaft journaled in said bearing support substantially transverse to said drive shaft, and lying approximately in the plane of said sliding rod, a cam on said rock shaft having a radially inwardly directed cam surface, said rod being bifurcated to receive said cam, a roller follower on said rod, said cam surface having radially concave detent recesses to receive said follower at opposite ends thereof, and biasing means for said member to cause said follower to ride on said Icam, and rest in either end recess to secure said rock shaft in either end position.

4. A washing machine extractor drive shaft and control assembly comprising, in combination, a housing cover plate, an extractor drive shaft extending through said cover plate, said shaft having a drive clutch and brake on one side of said cover plate, and said cover plate having an upstanding bearing support for said shaft on the other side, a clutch and brake actuating member slidable in said cover plate in a direction substantially parallel with said drive shaft, said member having a bfurcated end, a rock shaft journaled in said bearing support substantially transverse to said drive shaft, and lying approximately in the plane of said sliding member, a cam on said rock shaft positioned within said bifurcated end, a roller followeron said member journaled on a pin extending across the bifurcated end, said cam having a spiral cam opening having radially concave detent recesses to receive said follower at opposite ends thereof, and biasing means for said member to cause said follower to ride on one face of said cam, and rest in either end recess to secure said rock shaft in either end position.

WILLIAM G. LANDWIER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,345,685 Masury et al. July 6, 1920 2,111,143 Geldhof Mar. 15, 1938 2,249,187 Steiner July 15, 1941 2,411,960 Dyer Dec. 3, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 166,318 Great Britain July 1, 1921 

